Love... this book , the story in it , the characters , the style of the author , the portrayl of Ireland and its people , Love.

But , it's not a walk in the park , ( or a swim in the kidde pool) , the first fifty pages or so are a challenge. Jamie'O Neil's style is something all it's own and takes some getting used to. In the first bit , the style is difficult because you are unused to it , and little of anything exciting happens at all , those two facotrs together make for a boring introduction. But I promise you , if you stay with it , you will be rewarded , entertained ,and moved deeply.

O'Neil has a flair for character creation and dialogue. You'll find once the novel is over , the characters and thier personalities linger. There's Doyler , a brilliant , hard working , and unqestionably honourable youth with some very rough edges and a penchant for impishness. Jim , the reticent scholar who grows wonderfully through the course of the narrative , from a shy , subjected boy , to an experienced , deep young man. And then there's MacMurrough a Wildean gentleman exiled to the Emerald Isle for charges of lewdness and misconduct. Originally a bit of a bitter pill to swallow , MacMurrough becomes one of the most memorable , and indeed the most humourous , of characters on his road from boy-prostitue solicitor to "deccent chap" , advisor , and mentor.

The language of the book , while a bit confusing at first , adds believeability and cultural flair to the whole work.

This is a powerful book and very much worth anyones while , though don't expect to get through it without a several laughs and a a few tears...